1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to burst-based upstream communication.
2. Related Art
Cable television (CATV) systems are no longer limited to only providing television programs to viewers. In addition, they provide internet access, among other services, to consumers via signals transmitted to customer premises by optical fibers, coaxial and other cables and local radio channels, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, etc., all in contrast to traditional over-the-air radio wave broadcasting of television programming.
A CATV system may utilize Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) compliant equipment and protocols to carry out a transfer of information, such as video, audio, and/or data between one or more devices and one or more cable modem termination systems (CMTS). One typical device in communication with a CMTS is a cable modem. A cable modem is often located on a customer's premises and configured to transmit and receive Internet communications with the CMTS. In a common configuration, however, many cable modems share the same communication medium. As a result, they communicate with the CMTS in data bursts. These data bursts, however, do not always make use of the maximum amount of data that may be transmitted over the communication channel in a single burst. Accordingly, what is needed are improved methods and systems for maximizing the use of upstream data bursts and support for jumbo frames in both directions.